casting Archives

An Introduction to Candle Magic

February 10, 2019Spells

Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it’s a method which doesn’t require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake?

In this article, Patti Wiginton, explains, as birthday candles, here is the same theory, only now instead of just hoping, you’re declaring your intent (and by now you’ve probably stopped hoping for a pony). If you think about it, the birthday-candle ritual is based on three key magical principles:

Decide on a goal
Visualize the end result
Focus your intent, or will, to manifest that result

What Sort of Candle Should I Use?

Most practitioners of magical systems will tell you that, much like a few other aspects of life, size really isn’t important. In fact, really big candles may be counterproductive. Look at it this way–a candle that takes three days to burn down can be highly distracting to someone working a spell that instructs you to wait until the candle burns out on its own. Typically, a short taper candle or a votive candle will work the best. In some cases, a spell might call for a specific type of candle, such as a seven-day candle or a figure candle, which may represent a particular person.

One of the most popular candles, believe it or not, is in fact the little menorah candles which are sold by the box in the kosher section of the grocery store. They’re about 4″ long, white, unscented, and thin. Because of this, they’re perfect for spell work.

You should always use a brand new candle for spell work–in other words, use virgin materials. Don’t use the candles that you burned at the dinner table or in the bathroom yesterday for spell work. In some magical traditions, once a candle is burned it picks up vibrations from things around it. If a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, some people believe it will lead to a negative or ineffective magical outcome.

When it comes to colors, you may wish to have a variety on hand for different magical purposes. Typically, Color correspondences for candle magic are as follows:

Red: Courage and health, sexual love, and lust.
Pink: Friendship and sweet love.
Orange: Attraction and encouragement.
Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, and solar connections.
Yellow: Persuasion and protection.
Green: Financial gain, abundance, and fertility.
Light Blue: Health, patience, and understanding.
Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability.
Purple: Ambition and power.
Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings.
Black: Negativity and banishment.
White: Purity and truth*.
Silver: Reflection, intuition, and lunar connections.

* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.

Using Your Candle in Ritual

After you’ve selected a candle, you’ll want to oil it or dress it before burning. This is a method by which you’ll establish a psychic link between you and the candle itself. In other words, you’re charging the candle with your own energy and personal vibrations, and projecting your intent into the wax before you burn it. To dress a candle, you’ll need a natural oil; many practitioners like to use grapeseed because it has no smell. Another option is to use special candle magic oils from one of the metaphysical supply stores.

Begin at the top of the candle, and rub the oil downward to the middle. Then, begin at the base of the candle and rub the oil up towards the middle, ending where the first coating of oil left off. In some traditions, the anointing is done just the opposite way; start in the middle and work your way towards the two ends.

If your working calls for herbs to be used as well, roll the oiled candle in the powdered herbs until it is coated all the way around.

Brujo Negro of BrujoNegroBrujeria says,

“Is a candle magical in and of itself? No, it is the flame of the candle which is what we are making the magic; the candle and its wax are the fuel for the fire. In essence the candle is a vehicle for the creation of the magic contained in the flame, it is a tool if you will and yes it is a magical tool so you should treat your candles as magical tools. You should give your chosen candle a basic cleansing, before dedicating it to the use of a magical spell.”

The most basic form of candle magic uses a piece of colored paper that matches the intent of your candle. Decide what your goal is, and write it on the piece of paper. Just for an example, let’s say we’re going to do a money working. Write down your intent, something like I will become financially prosperous. In some traditions, you would write your intent in a magical alphabet, such as Theban or Enochian. Because this is a money-oriented working, we would select either a gold or green piece of paper, and a candle of the same color.

As you write down your goal, visualize yourself achieving that goal. Think about the different ways in which your goal might manifest. Could you be getting a raise at work? Perhaps someone who owed you money will arrive out of the blue to repay their debt. Maybe you’ll find out you overpaid that cable bill from last year, and you will get a surprise refund check!

Once you’ve written down your goal, fold the paper, concentrating on your intent the whole time. Some people like to say a small incantation as they do this. If you’re one of those people, this is a good place to do it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use something as simple as:

Extra money come my way,
I could use a little cash today.
Extra money come to me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Place one corned of the folded paper into the candle’s flame and allow it to catch fire. Hold the paper as long as possible (without burning your fingers) and then place it in a fire-safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way on its own. Allow the candle to burn out completely. When the candle has burned out completely, dispose of it, rather than saving it to use again for another working. Usually there’s not much left of a candle except a stub of wax, and you can either bury it outdoors or dispose of it in whatever manner you choose.

Candle Magic for Divination

In some magical traditions, candles are used for divinatory purposes. The two most commonly used methods of candle divination are by reading the wax, and reading the manner in which the candle actually burns. To read the wax, the typical practice is to drop the liquefied wax into a bowl of cold water. The wax will harden almost immediately, and form shapes. Use these shapes to get the answers to your questions, much as you would if you were reading tea leaves.

To divine by the way the candle burns is a bit more complex, and Cat Yronwoode of LuckyMojo has a great essay on ceromancy in Hoodoo candle magic.

5 Steps To Write Your Own Spell

January 19, 2019Spells

I have noticed a lot of interest on spells. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using other peoples’ spells — and in fact there is an entire industry devoted to publishing books full of them — there are times when you may wish to use your own. I loved this 5 steps guide from Patti Wigington because if you can’t find what you’re looking for in a book, or you might just feel a need to use original material you have the option to write your own.

Whatever your reasons, it’s not as hard as you may think to write your own spells if you follow this very simple formula.

1. Figure out the goal/purpose/intent of the working.

What is it you wish to accomplish? Are you looking for prosperity? Hoping to get a better job? Trying to bring love into your life? What is the specific aim of the spell? Whatever it may be, make sure you’re clear on what it is you want — “I will get that promotion at work!”

2. Determine what material components you’ll need to achieve your goal.

Will the working require herbs, candles, incenses, or stones? Try to think outside the box when you’re composing a spell — and remember that magic relies heavily on symbolism. There’s nothing wrong with using unusual ingredients in a working — Hot Wheels cars, chess pieces, bits of hardware, sunglasses and even old DVDs are all fair game.

3. Decide if timing is important.

In some traditions, moon phase is crucial, while in others it’s not significant. Generally, positive magic, or workings that draw things to you, is performed during the waxing moon. Negative or destructive magic is done during the waning phase. It may be that you feel a certain day of the week is best for the working, or even a certain hour of the day. Don’t feel obligated to drown yourself in the details, though. If you’re a person who feels confident doing magic on the fly without worrying about timing, then go for it.

4. Figure out your wording.

What words or incantation — if any — will be verbalized during the working? Are you going to chant something formal and powerful, calling upon gods for assistance? Will you simply mutter a poetic couplet under your breath? Or is it the sort of working where you can simply ponder the Universe in silence? Remember, there is power in words, so select them carefully.

5. Make it happen.

Put all of the above together into a workable form, and then, in the immortal words of the Nike commercial, Just Do It.

Llewellyn author Susan Pesznecker says of crafting a spell on your own, “When you build a spell yourself, from the ground up, you infuse it with your deliberateness, your preferences, your wishes, your thoughts, and your energies. This spell won’t simply be something you read from someone else’s pages—it will carry your own signature and resonate through your very core. It will be much more powerful and complete than any ready-made charm could ever be, making you an integral part of the magick from start to finish.

Tips:

Despite the above five-step method being a very bare-bones and simple way of looking at spell construction, it does work effectively. You may wish to keep a magical journal or make notes in your Book of Shadows during the spell construction phase, and then keep track of results as they begin to manifest.

If a working hasn’t begun to manifest within a few weeks — some traditions say within 28 days, a lunar month — you may want to stop and revisit the working. Figure out what variables may need to be changed.

The Universe has a quirky sense of humor, so make sure anything you cast a spell for is worded correctly. In other words, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it!

Remember that magic is a tool and a skill set, but some common sense should prevail as well. You can cast all day to get yourself a job, but your chances of success are greatly reduced if you haven’t pounded the pavement and sent out copies of your resume!

Last but not least important… Remember to practice, practice and practice.

9 Ways to Cleanse Negativity

January 13, 2019Spells

Negativity is a pain in the neck and every-time you try to accomplish something, negativity might block you. That’s why I decided today to share this short but insightful article published by The Alchemist. Original source: magicalrecipesonline.com

You must be wondering, there should be a way to cleanse negativity. Of course there is. 9 to be exact (if not more). Here we are going to present you easy ways to banish and cleanse negativity.

Is negativity around?

The First question you have to answer is “does negativity surround me?”. Well to answer this we have to go one step back. Here you can find 10 Signs (and symptoms) when negativity is around. Have you answered yes in more than 5 (out of ten) questions? Then, it is time to make a change and try and see how your magic can help you rectify the issue.

And here is how to get rid of Negative Energy and Cleanse Negativity:

1. Setting the intention to get rid of all this negativity is step one. The stronger your will, the stronger your magic.
2. Forgiveness. Simple acts of letting go and forgiving our selves and others have extremely healing properties. All we need to recognise is that everybody tries the best they know how and let things go.
3. Using the power of water for its cleansing properties. Best solution is to prepare a hot bath, use some salt (or Epsom salts) and add essential oils of herbs with cleansing and healing properties such as eucalyptus, achillea, sage, myrrh and peppermint. Please remember to dilute and do not apply directly on your skin. Dive in and soak your body. Feel the cleansing properties of water removing all the debris from your body and aura and take deep breaths to allow the aroma of the oils replenish you.
4. Ask assistance from your Deities, the Universe and any higher forces that you work with. The first step is to recognise that you need help, put your pride aside and ask for it. When you ask they will listen.
5. Carry crystals which ground negativity and have protective properties such as onyx, obsidian, black tourmaline or tiger’s eye. Remember to cleanse them every so often as they all have storing capacities.
6. Time for a good house cleansing.
7. Cast a purification and cleansing spell.
8. Cast a protection spell.
9. Use the upcoming ritual of the chalice and the athame

Always remember to take baby steps and keep going, asking for help is not a sign of weakness and whatever the situation you are stronger than you think and you can always surpass your expectations.

Five Steps for Casting Spells Essentials for Beginner Witches

January 8, 2019Spells

I found this interesting article and decided to share it with all our community. It is recommended for any witchcraft level. You will found in detail steps for casting a Spell. Published by Sage at Exemplore she explains spells as simple steps that can be followed by witches of any level of knowledge. The use of a spell is meant to 1) change the ‘inner landscape’ to prepare you for going after your intent and 2) to direct the conducive energy that will draw your intent to you, or ‘clear the path’ for you to reach it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Casting Spells

The way one designs and executes a spell can vary greatly, but the underlying principles are the same. I like to think of it like buildings—all over the world there are buildings with completely different designs. No matter what they look like outwardly – tall or short, brick or steel, ornate or simple — they all have to adhere to basic engineering principles for a sturdy frame and foundation to hold them up. Likewise, a much about the way one designs and executes a spell can vary. A lot depends on the Witch’s methods, religion, philosophies, preferred tools and components, etc. but underneath there is a common framework and foundation that is what actually makes it hold up. There are essentially five essential parts to casting spells.

How to Cast Spells

Spell Casting Part 1: Preparation

Preparing for a spell is pretty much all the pre-spell work that you’ll be doing. This begins with defining your intent, which involves identifying your need and determining the ultimate goal of the spell. I have found the best intents are:

- Personal (the spell is cast on you, or someone close to you with your permission, rather than others who aren’t actively cooperating).

- Specific (no “wish” spells or “just make life better” spells – think about your actual needs. This is no time to be ambiguous).

- Focused (if you can’t say what you want in a few words, you’re not focused enough).

- Positive (always strive for positive goals— never use negative language like not, won’t or can’t. For example, instead of a spell to not be lonely, cast a spell to find a friend or romantic interest).

Broken down into small goals when your overall goal is complex (just think about how many steps or how many changes it would take to achieve your intent; do a specific spell for each one of those rather than one big spell to try to change everything at once).

Find, or write, a spell. Review it, tweak it and familiarize yourself with it well. You don’t have to memorize it (you can if you want), but you should really be familiar with the steps and what you have to say so it flows naturally. Even if using notes, you should not be stumbling over them because you barely glanced at them.

Determine timing if you wish to work with magical timing.

Gather materials and supplies. Make a list; check it twice.

Prepare your space. Clean the area, cleanse and purify it if you feel the need. Set up your tools and supplies. Send the kids to grandmas, walk the dog, feed the cats, turn off the phone, put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door if you think it’ll help.

Prepare yourself. On the day leading up to the spell you may want to eat light or fast, meditate and center yourself, take a cleansing bath or purify yourself in some way.

Spell Casting Part 2: State of Mind

Your state of mind needs to be conducive to your goal from the earliest preparation stages, through the spell and until your intent is manifest. State of mind is everything, which is why it’s so important to have mental discipline (a regular meditation regime helps).

In the weeks/days leading up to the spell, keep positive thoughts. The worst thing you can do is walk around worrying, “Will it work? I hope I don’t screw this up! I’m scared of what might happen!”

During the spell, you want to achieve the ALPHA state, the most conducive for magic and energy work. Alpha is a meditative state of relaxed awareness. It opens the way to the subconscious while you still maintain consciousness. You know the feeling—it’s when you run on ‘autopilot’ and are so focused on the moment. You don’t notice the time passing. You’re not thinking about what you need to do in the future, or what you could have done differently in the past. You’re not worrying about your chores or whether you feel cold or hungry; you are completely and fully absorbed in the activity. You’re in the zone.

After the spell, you need to keep your thoughts positive. Thinking negative thoughts or letting doubt creep in just sabotages the results. It’s best to not think about it at all, but if you do think about it you must think about it in a positive way. You need to banish doubt and worries, and know you not only can achieve your goal, but — on some level — you have achieved it.

Spell Casting Part 3: Linking to Your Intent

During the spell, when you’re in the ALPHA state, you need to establish both a psychological and metaphysical link between you and your intent. There are multiple ways to do this, and you can actually throw several into the mix:

- State your intent. By saying and hearing it, you make it part of your reality and thus begin to forge a connection between yourself and the intent.

- Sensory stimulation. Pick image, scents, sounds, tastes and objects with the feel that reminds you of your goal. For example, if satin sheets remind you of wealth, use a satin altar cloth for a money spell. On the flip side, a lot of healing spells utilize blue. If blue just reminds you of depression and having ‘the blues’, then it’s not a good option for you and you should pick a different color.

- Creative Visualization: the more detailed you can envision your intent already manifested, the better.

- Symbols and imagery have a powerful effect on the subconscious. Use something that makes sense to you. For example, if you work with runes, you might see FEHU as symbolizing material wealth and career success. That’s great—use it. If you don’t work with runes, then don’t use FEHU just because someone else says so. Perhaps a dollar sign, or the amount you want written out on a fake check.

Objects. In sympathetic magic, you might use a poppet, or in candle magic you might use one candle to represent yourself and one to represent your intent. Personal items are a great way to infuse personal power and link it with your intent. This is why you find so many spells that call for using nail clippings, hair, blood or personal belongings.

Spell Casting Part 4: Raising, Directing and Releasing Energy

Once you are focused on your intent and have connected yourself to it, it’s time to begin raising energy. Part of this energy comes from internal sources—your emotional state, your thoughts and desires. This is why it is so important to keep your mind exactly where you want it: on the intent. The rest of this energy is drawn from external sources—your tools, correspondences, components, the Elements, other participants (if any), deities you might invoke, the Earth, Moon, Sun or other planets. Basically, everything in existence has energy, and you can draw from one or more sources when casting your spell.

Energy should build up slowly but surely by your chosen method(s) for raising it. Work on raising energy for as long as you can, until you feel it’s reached a crescendo.

How long does it take? Some people feel they can do it for as little as 5 or 10 minutes; others will spend hours. This will take time for you to experiment to see how you personally are able to build a sufficient amount.

At that point, you direct and release. To direct it, simply keep focused on the intent. There are a number of ways to release energy. Some people might stomp and shout. In sex magic, achieving orgasm is the release. Burning or breaking something is a great way to release energy. If you’re using an infusion or potion, you’d drink it. “Seal” the spell with a final thought or gesture to formally signify it’s done. This might be saying something, such as, “So mote it be!” It might alternatively be a gesture, such as throwing up your hands or making the sign of a pentagram with your finger or blade.

Make sure to ground as well, once you’re finished, as a final step of working with energy. Just envision pouring out any last bit of excess into the earth, a tree or a tool.

Ways of Raising Energy

Drumming
Chanting
Dancing
Rocking
Visualizations
Sexual aarousal

Spell Casting Part 5: Creating Channels

I go much more into depth about channels is in my article, but essentially a channel is creating ways for that energy to flow freely between you and your ultimate intent. For example, if I cast a love spell to meet a compatible mate, I then create ways for the spell to take effect—I join a dating service online, I start going out by myself to coffee shops or museums, I take classes at a community center or volunteer at a charity, putting myself in the position in which the energy can help manifest my desire.

Thus, you put yourself in the perfect position for your spell to manifest.

A Visual Aid:

5 Awesome Ways To Cast Spells Without Any Tools or Ingredients

October 1, 2018Spells

Growing up was a little different in my family. We were nomadic for the majority of my childhood, moving every 6-8 months or so, hopping from place to place following my parents work. We changed cities and states so often I honestly can’t recall all of the places I’ve lived!

Of course, as a kid moving that much is hard. Leaving and re-making friends is tough, changing everything you know is scary and don’t even get me started on the kind of kinks the nomad life can throw into a kids education! All of the craziness aside, I did have some really amazing experiences along the way. Unlike most people I’ve met, I was best friends with my brother, we were practically inseparable as kids. We would go on long family camping trips and disappear up into the mountains (my favorite part of any summer), my brother and I would have more fun on those trips pretending to be pirates with sticks for swords than we ever had at home.

That kind of improvisation was a staple for us growing up. When you move constantly you learn to strip down to the bare essentials, you don’t WANT a lot of stuff because you know that in 3 or 4 months you’re just going to have to pack it all up again and lug it with you to the next place. After years of moving you end up with fairly scant belongings and you get REALLY good improvising and learning to make do with what you have.

Now, as an adult, I’m still a pretty on-the-go kind of person. I’ve never gone more than a year without moving (old habits die hard) and now I’m living on the road for the second time. If my upbringing didn’t turn me into an expert minimalist, my adult life certainly has and that knack for making do with less has definitely influenced how I practice witchcraft.

If I collect every witchcraft related item that I own together it all fits into one small basket, with room to spare. More often than not my spells are whispered incantations, hastily drawn sigils or entirely performed in my head. I have spent months of my life thinking I was a bad witch because I never did “real” spells! What I didn’t realize back then was that I WAS doing real spells and I was doing them VERY well because I was managing to produce powerful magical results with NO tools or ingredients.

1. Sigils

Ok, so sigils technically require you to have something to write with and something to write on BUT you can find pens just about anywhere (the bank, your waitress, a friend, etc.) and if no paper is available I know plenty of us just resort to scribbling them on our arms or receipts so I still think it counts.

Sigils are an amazing way to cast spells quickly and easily with very little fuss. As Frater U.D. puts it in Practical Sigil Magic , “The advantages of this method… are obvious. It is temptingly easy, and with only a little practice it may be performed ay any time and at any place.”

Once you’ve designed a sigil you can keep the design and reuse it as many times as you need, many witches find that they end up with a repertoire of tried and true sigils that they either keep readily available to copy and use from their phones or from memory.

If you’re not too familiar with sigil crafting yet, I would highly recommend checking out Practical Sigil Magic! It’s my go-to resource for all things sigil crafting and it’s an excellent place to both begin and expand an effective sigil practice.

2. Written & Spoken Spells

Written and spoken spells are a favorite of mine. They’re quick, you can improvise them on the fly and there are so many was to utilize them! A lot of people feel like incantations have to be long and they have to rhyme and while I do love a good rhyming incantation in my rituals you definitely DON’T have to rhyme to make your spells effective. Simply jotting down or whispering your intention can be incredibly effective.

You could also empower your words in conversation. Going to a job interview? Pull a little sweetening magic into your words. Talking with a friend about your dreams? Add some intent behind your words so that your dreams will quicken into reality.

My main tip for this form of spellwork is to never phrase these spells in the negative. Because these spells are so freeform it can be easy to get your messages mixed and if you focus on what you don’t want you might just get a whole lot more of the very thing you’re trying to get rid of. Instead focus your words on what you DO want!

3. Imagination

Any kind of imaginative exercise can be turned into a spell and you don’t have to limit yourself to simple visualization. I know plenty of witches who can’t or don’t like to visualize so if visualization isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it! You could also imagine sounds, sensations, colors, concepts or anything else that you feel will bring about the result you desire.

When casting spells this way it’s always best to get as specific as possible. The more thought and effort you pour into your imaginative spell the more power you give it and the better the result will be.

4. Emotionally Driven Spells

This is the most common kind of “accidental” magic and the same kind of magic behind the evil eye! To use it, you harness the power of your emotions to bring your intent into being.

Obviously there are a few caveats to this type of spell casting, the first is that you have to be feeling some pretty strong emotions to make it work. If you want to cast a spell for happiness but you don’t feel happy you won’t get far. Likewise if you’re trying to hex someone but you feel pretty ambivalent about it the spell will likely be a flop.

The second caveat is that this is a highly volatile type of magic, you won’t have quite as much control over the strength of the spell or how the results are achieved. If you’re not worried about the spell being overzealous or unpredictable then this is a great way to cast spells when you’re in the heat of the moment.

5. Enchanting

Enchanting is essentially just turning normal things into magical things. Anything can be enchanted for any purpose which makes this a highly versatile form of magic. There are many ways to do this but the simplest method is to program your item by channeling your intent into it and then charging the item when the spell is needed by feeding it energy from yourself or some other source.

Enchanting items works best if the item holds some relation in your mind to the intent you wish it to hold. A pen or pencil for sweetening words. A compact mirror for beauty. A compass for travel spells. The relation doesn’t have to be direct though, if you have personal associations that are perhaps stronger than traditional associations that an object might hold don’t be afraid to experiment.

See? You definitely don’t need a bunch of fancy tools, ingredients or gadgets to be a witch! You can practice magic any time, anywhere, regardless of what you have on hand. You just have to get creative!

What’s your favorite no-tool way to cast spells? Tell me about it in the comments!

Source: thetravelingwitch.com